Biophotonics

4 ECTS credits
120 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4016057FNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Partnership Agreement

Under interuniversity agreement for degree program

Faculty

Faculty of Engineering

Department and involved faculties/organizations

Applied Physics and Photonics
Bio-Engineering Sciences

Educational team

Jo Van Ginderachter (course titular)
Nicolas Le Thomas

Activities and contact hours

36 contact hours Lecture
18 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals

Course Content

The biophotonics course is split into three components: a biological, a technical and an assignment.

Before the start of the Biophotonics course, the students will be given the option to lecture a part of the biological course (lectures 1-4). If a student chooses to provide a lecture, he or she will not be required to complete the biological component of the biophotonics exam. This option is provided so that those who have previous experience of the biological component will be challenged sufficiently, whilst maintaining a level of course content that students with no previous experience in the field can feasibly manage:

1. Introduction: Necessity of biophotonics, public health, eco preservation, maritime, industrial, domestic, medical, biotechnology, aquatic Environments
2. Micro-organisms: Bacteria, virus, protozoa, algae, phylogeny, structure and function

3. Fundamental biomolecules: nucleic acids, amino acids, DNA/RNA replication, transcription, translation, antibodies, antigens, enzymes, fatty acids, carbohydrates
4. Physiology: immune system, nervous system

5. Flow cytometry: Principle and applications, cell enumeration, discrimination, fluorescent in-situ, hybridisation, DNA probes, cell sorting advantages and disadvantages

6. PCR techniques: Hybridisation, DNA amplification, molecular probes, real time PCR

7. Microscopy: bright field microscopy, phase contrast microscopy, dark field microscopy, differential interference contrast microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy

8. Optical coherence tomography: principles, time-domain OCT, fourier domain OCT, swept-source OCT, optical properties of tissues, system aspects, applications

9. Labeled sensors: sensor requirements, ELISA tests, gold nanoparticle labels, quantum dot labels, bead-based assays, padlock probes

10. Label-free sensors: advantages, surface plasmon sensors, evanescent wave sensors, Mach-Zehnder interferometers, resonant cavities

11. Lab-on-a-chip: principles, DNA microarrays, introduction to microfluidics

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Biophotonics, Copies of slides and notes

Additional info

Teaching Methods: Classroom lectures, lab sessions (microscopy).

Lab Sessions:
Compulsory - demonstrations of microscopy

Assignment:
Compulsory - students will have to write a paper consisting of 2000 words on a Biophotonic topic of their choice

Part of the lectures will be given in UGent, part of the lectures at VUB, but there is the option of teleclassing

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

Exposing the student to various basic concepts in the field of biophotonics.

The course will provide an insight into the basics of photonics and biology: Microorganisms, biomolecules, acquiring understanding in the principles behind microscopy, cytometry, PCR techniques, imaging techniques, labeled and label-free sensors, lab-on-a-chip

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Written theory exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Note: : Evaluation during examination period
Examination Methods: written closed-book exam

Additional info regarding evaluation

Evaluation Methods: Evaluation during examination period
Examination Methods: written closed-book exam

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context